Remains of Ancient City Discovered in Israel; Built by King David

November 1, 1961

JERUSALEM (Oct. 31)

The remains of a great city first built at the end of the reign of King David or at the start of that of King Solomon were reported today to have been uncovered near Ein Gev during recent excavations in the area.

A team of archaeologists, headed by Professor Binyamin Mazar, found the city and reported that one of the most remarkable excavation findings was a large jar bearing the inscription “Ieshakya, ” which Professor Mazar interpreted to mean “belonging to the wine steward,” in Aramaic. The importance of the inscription was understood to be the fact that it is written in early Hebrew Phoenician script and is one of the few known examples of this script dating to the ninth century B.C.E.

Another unusual discovery was a room containing vessels for incense and libations evidently used for making offerings to the stars and the moon. Professor Mazar said that the idol worshipers kept the vessels inside the room and took them out only at night when they went to the roofs for worship.

It was indicated that the uncovered city might be the site of early Susita, constructed by King David or King Solomon in the tenth century B. C. E. Excavations show that the site consists of the remains of five cities, each built on the site of the preceding one and later destroyed.